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worried to let the buns free range.

pennypoos

Mama Doe
yesturday at around 4.30pm, i heard a bit of birdie comotion comming from next doors garden. I tried to see what was going on but the comotion came from behind some bushes , and they blocked my view. A couple of wood pigeons came flying out of the bushes, and i could hear lots of squarking and flapping,and I thought that maybe a cat had caught a bird.
Anyway almost an hour later I was stood at the back door with the OH having a fag, and a bird of pray landed right in the middle of our garden with a dead wood pigeon in its talons It stayed there for a few seconds and then just flew away with the dead bird. :shock: we were both completely shocked as neither of us has ever seen any thing like this before, especially in our back yard. Im guessing it was a kestral.
So.... now Im too worried to let my rabbits free range. :(
George and Misty are quite big buns, they are dwarf lops and they might be a bit too big for the bird that we saw to fly off with, but if it did come back and my buns were out, it could try to attack them and realy seriously injure them. I don`t know what to do now.
They live in a 6x2 hutch with a 6x4 attatched run that they have 24 hr access to. But i feel that this is no way big enough to keep them shut in all day every day. They usually spend most of the day free ranging at the side of the house, and love dashing around and doing lots of binkies. Im going to keep them locked up today because im too scared to let them out.
Even though it was lovely to see a bird of pray in our own back yard, it also made me worry about the safety of my rabs.
 
This is one of the reasons why we don't rehome to people who want to free range I am afraid. Even in the towns birds of prey do circle and are quite capable of catching rabbits.

At my previous rescue in Bracknell we often saw a hawk circling the garden where the rabbits were housed.

We don't free range any of our own buns at all here either.
 
I don't let mine free range because of the what-if's, and if I were you I don't think I could let them free range unsupervised any more.

Some people think it's a risk worth taking, but that's not a view I share.
 
The same thing happened in my garden! I was fascinated by the beautiful very large female sparrow hawk (I think!) but horrified to watch it catch an systematically pluck and eat a collared dove on my lawn!!! Im told a sparrow hawk wouldnt attempt to go for a rabbit but there are others around that would. I would never leave my two alone in the garden but Im totally paranoid of them getting hurt or escaping anyway!
 
I don't let mine free range because of the what-if's, and if I were you I don't think I could let them free range unsupervised any more.

Some people think it's a risk worth taking, but that's not a view I share.

I don`t let my buns free range unsupervised, and i didn`t say that i did. sorry i should of stated that in my first post. I let them free range at the side of the house where the kitchen window is so that i can keep an eye on them. I spend most of my day in there cooking washing and cleaning. If i go out then i always put them back in their hutch, i never leave them out alone.
 
I would still call that unsupervised, because you're not out there with them watching the whole time. :) I meant to say that Alfie and Bubbles do have free range time but only with me sitting out there keeping an eye out (and I'm still paranoid :oops:), never unsupervised.

Would it be possible to put some sort of roof over the area at the side of your house? Either that or I think I would only let them out when I could be out there to watch.
 
I would still call that unsupervised, because you're not out there with them watching the whole time. :) I meant to say that Alfie and Bubbles do have free range time but only with me sitting out there keeping an eye out (and I'm still paranoid :oops:), never unsupervised.

Would it be possible to put some sort of roof over the area at the side of your house? Either that or I think I would only let them out when I could be out there to watch.

not at the minute. but the thought did cross my mind earlier. we have alot on at the minute with house repairs and the garden that is having a complete makover, but one day it will be a posibillity.
my step dad made himself a car port at the side of his house, im sure if i ask nicely he could make one for me too. But as i said not at the minute. I will defifnitly not be letting my rabs out anymore unless i am litterally out there with them. I love all my animals very much, and i would be devastated if anything happend to them.
 
I would still call that unsupervised, because you're not out there with them watching the whole time. :) I meant to say that Alfie and Bubbles do have free range time but only with me sitting out there keeping an eye out (and I'm still paranoid :oops:), never unsupervised.

Would it be possible to put some sort of roof over the area at the side of your house? Either that or I think I would only let them out when I could be out there to watch.

Agree with Karen too.

I had one lady come to me for a rabbit because she was there at home watching through the window when a fox took one of her rabbits who was loose in the garden and jumped over an 6ft fence with her in it's mouth. It dropped her but sadly she died as a result anyway.

She wanted to adopt and when I explained that she would have to give the rabbits secure housing because of fox attacks, she refused to do it. Even after seeing a fox taking one of her beloved buns. I just won't risk it, only takes a moment.
 
Predators are one of the many reasons I don't house my buns and guinea pigs outdoors. The get out for some supervised time in a pen but they are never left alone outside, they never free range, and they are never housed outdoors. I just don't fancy taking chances, especially when I know I can provide them with a safe home indoors with just as much, if not more, enrichment. Just my opinion though.
 
Agree with Karen too.

I had one lady come to me for a rabbit because she was there at home watching through the window when a fox took one of her rabbits who was loose in the garden and jumped over an 6ft fence with her in it's mouth. It dropped her but sadly she died as a result anyway.

She wanted to adopt and when I explained that she would have to give the rabbits secure housing because of fox attacks, she refused to do it. Even after seeing a fox taking one of her beloved buns. I just won't risk it, only takes a moment.

Oh dear that`s awfull, it seems that some people just don`t learn.

I have been very fortunate to spot a possible threat to my buns before any thing sinister happened. And i can assure you i will not let them out any more with out my full supervision.
 
Oh dear that`s awfull, it seems that some people just don`t learn.

I have been very fortunate to spot a possible threat to my buns before any thing sinister happened. And i can assure you i will not let them out any more with out my full supervision.

No sadly, the lady just thought that I was being difficult, but we know from experience that foxes in particular are likely to return to somewhere if they know that there is 'dinner' there.

I do so wish things were different and we could allow ours time to run around like loonies too - so lovely to watch.

I can also see why some folks think that it's nicer for buns to have a short happy life being able to free range and have the associated risks, as opposed to a longer, boring, confined one in a small run where they are safe.

I just happened to opt for the lower risk.

Sure you'll find a way that suits you and your buns.
 
Could they free-range for a bit indoors with you, in the kitchen? Or would that not be possible with Penny?x
 
Free ranging indoors is a brill idea. Charlee loves hooning around indoors - I can't let the both of them out yet as we are still working on Noah's toilet training. But I wouldn't say there life is any less happier..or any less fulfilled than the life of a bun that is left to free range outdoors. There are other ways to provide enrichment and exercise without the risks that come with free range outdoors IMO.
 
Could they free-range for a bit indoors with you, in the kitchen? Or would that not be possible with Penny?x

I think penny would be very disapproving of other rabbits invading her turf.
penny`s base is in the kitchen, so I don`t feel it would be fair to let george and misty play in there.
When our garden is complete penny will be going out side with a new friend so george and misty could possibly come in for a couple of hours then.
I`m going to have a bigger run made for them at some point, so they can have a bit more space.
 
I will defifnitly not be letting my rabs out anymore unless i am litterally out there with them. I love all my animals very much, and i would be devastated if anything happend to them.

That's good to hear. :thumb: It's a pain to have to supervise them, I know, and my two could have far more time free ranging if I didn't have to be there but it's not worth taking a chance, imo.

I often read that people think it's safe as they don't have foxes, or cats don't come into their garden, or whatever and I always think "But there's always a first time." I remember somebody saying that the first they knew about foxes visiting their garden was when it killed their bunnies. :(

Just yesterday afternoon, we had a cat visitor from across the road; she had found her way into our back garden. This cat has been living here for 3 or 4 yrs, but this is the first time we've ever seen her in our garden - meaning either she's been coming in while we're not there or it was her first visit. Either way, it just shows that you can't assume anything. If my buns had been out there alone when she showed up, who knows what would have happened.
 
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